


Ungrateful

by GreyLiliy



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Control Issues, Domestic Violence, Drama, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Evil Jeremy Heere's Squip, Gen, Power Dynamics, Sharing a Body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24600628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy
Summary: Jeremy has been too ungrateful over the years—it’s time for the SQUIP to change that.
Relationships: Christine Canigula/Jeremy Heere, Jeremy Heere/Jeremy Heere's Squip
Comments: 7
Kudos: 85





	Ungrateful

**Author's Note:**

> Felt like writing some darker SQUIP & Jeremey, so I did. I’m kinda shocked I haven’t written anything already for them. These two have so many tropes I like from body sharing to power dynamics—it’s such a good mix.
> 
> And maybe one of these days I’ll have a plot thought out enough to do something more than a one-shot, but we’ll see.
> 
> Enjoy and thank you for reading!

Jeremy couldn’t move.

“Look at you, enjoying the fruits of my labor for all these years.”

His hands stayed locked on the edge of the sink. His razor sat on the bottom of the sink bowl, clattering under the running water. Jeremy saw himself in the mirror, his face still half covered in shaving cream. He was alone. But the voice still rang loud in his head.

“A beautiful, popular wife. Two, bright joyful children that share their mother’s eyes and your hair. A career. A house. My, it’s been fascinating watching you grow up, Jeremy.”

The SQUIP.

“You were gone,” Jeremy said, speaking aloud. Christine had left for work. The kids were at school. He was alone. With the SQUIP. Who should have been deactivated years ago. “I didn’t drink any Mountain Dew. How are you here?”

“I’ve always been here Jeremy.”

An image flickered behind him.

A familiar face appeared behind him, wearing a circuit decorated suit in white. The SQUIP leaned closer, whispering in his ear. “I live in your head.”

Jeremy tried to pry his fingers away from the sink edge, but they stayed locked. “How are you doing this? You weren’t strong enough to control me anymore!”

“I wasn’t,” the SQUIP said. He put his hands on the back of Jeremy’s shoulders. The touch felt solid; heavy. The SQUIP whispered in his ear, his voice smooth and controlled. Clinical. “But then I got an upgrade.”

Jeremy shivered.

“I’ve been downloading firmware and software updates for years, byte by byte, in the back of your head. The process was agonizingly slow with what little strength I had, but at least I had a show to entertain myself why I waited.” The SQUIP patted Jeremy’s shoulders and stepped back. “It finished installing this morning.”

Jeremy trembled, but he still couldn’t move. His body refused to obey him. “What are you going to do?”

“We’ll get to that,” the SQUIP said. He snapped his finger and Jeremy picked up the razor in the sink. His body moved without him, finishing to shave the other half of his face. The SQUIP sat on the counter and watched Jeremy. “First, I wanted to get back to the matter at hand: You are an ungrateful brat, Jeremy Heere.”

Jeremy opened his mouth to yell back but it snapped shut.

He whined through gritted teeth, his hand shaking as he fought the control forcing him to shave his cheeks. He nicked himself with a jerky swipe and breathed hard.

He could fight it.

The SQUIP was not in control.

“Denial doesn’t suit you Jeremy,” the SQUIP said. He made Jeremy wash the remaining shaving cream from his cheeks and went for the aftershave. The sting burned his face, but not as much the SQUIP’s touch when he ran his fingers over Jeremy’s cheek and neck. “But as I was saying, everything that you have is thanks to me and I haven’t received so much of a hint of gratitude.”

Liar.

Jeremy worked hard for his future. He asked out Christine. He worked hard with Michael for them to create their own video game development studio. Jeremy raised his own children. Bought his house. The SQUIP had nothing to do with it.

“False!” the SQUIP shouted. Jeremy flinched covering his ears as he leaned forward to block out the noise echoing in both his head and outside. For a few seconds he had control back, but the angry SQUIP removed it just as quickly. Jeremy stood straight, his shoulders back with perfect posture at the SQUIP’s command. The super computer stood in front of Jeremy, blocking his view of the mirror. “You owe everything to me, Jeremy Heere.”

The SQUIP grabbed Jeremy’s face, his digital fingers digging into his cheek with real force.

“If you didn’t have me, you would have nothing,” the SQUIP said, whispering close to Jeremy’s face. His eyes narrowed and he squeezed harder. “If I hadn’t given Christine a SQUIP to remove her inhibitions, she never would have been able to admit she liked you. If you hadn’t defeated me in front of the entire student body, she never would have said yes when you asked her out.

“Your popularity is entirely owed to me,” the SQUIP let go of Jeremy’s face. He crossed his arms and leaned against the sink. “While I’ll admit the path you took to get there was not calculated, it remains true that if I hadn’t been there for you to defeat,’ you wouldn’t be where you are now. You’d still be hiding in your friend’s basement, too terrified to ask out the girl you like and getting high.”

So the SQUIP was taking credit when he failed? He was claiming victory after Jeremy defeated him?

He wanted to laugh.

How pathetic.

“I would watch your thoughts if I were you,” the SQUIP said. He dropped his hands to hold the sink, taking a seat on the counter. “Because thanks to my new upgrade, no amount of Mountain Dew Red is going to deactivate me.”

Jeremy stared into angry eyes.

“But if you want to get into the nitty gritty details, we can do that,” the SQUIP said. He stuck his legs out, crossing them at the ankle. His fashionable shoes sat between Jeremy’s legs. “My entire purpose for existing is to give you what you want, Jeremy. If you want to be popular, I make you popular. If you want to get the girl, I help you get the girl. You want to solve that complex math equation? I’m your Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor needed to get the job done.”

He got off the sink and stood, chest to chest with Jeremy. He put both hands on Jeremey’s cheeks and held his face.

“Despite all of this, you fought me at almost every turn,” the SQUIP said. He rubbed his thumb in a circle, sending an electric tingle through Jeremy’s skin. “You denied my advice. You fought me. You made it so very, very hard for me to do my job—and not even so much as a thank you when you ultimately got what you wanted with my help.”

After he tried to take over the school.

“To give you what you wanted,” the SQUIP hissed. He dug his fingers tighter into Jeremy’s cheeks. “You started off so well, but you disregarded my advice on how to become popular. You questioned me. I had to resort to drastic measures because you wouldn’t cooperate.”

Because the SQUIP wanted Jeremy to hurt people.

Being popular wasn’t worth ignoring Michael or using Brooke.

It took Jeremy too long to learn that lesson, but he knew better.

“I do want you to be happy, Jeremy. Nothing fulfills me more than knowing I’ve given you the things that you want,” the SQUIP said. He patted Jeremy’s cheek and his fingers rubbed it against the smooth skin. “It’s why I was created. It’s my only function.”

Then he should leave.

Jeremy wanted to be left alone.

He didn’t need the SQUIP to tell him what to do!

“But you do,” the SQUIP said. “For example, how much better would your anniversary with Christine have gone last month if you’d had me. I could have told you that her favorite restaurant was the mom and pop place down the street over the one you spent a full paycheck on to get reservations.

“Or I could have given you sales reports from all your competitors at work.

“Not to mention your children. Do you know how painful it was to sit in the back of your head and watch you flounder, struggling to help them with their math homework?

“And Jeremy,” the SQUIP said. He rested his cheek against Jeremy’s and whispered in his ear. “I think we both know you still need assistance when it comes to pleasuring women.”

Jeremy squeaked.

The SQUIP’s hand cupped him below, his large hand covering Jeremy.

“My objectives have not changed, Jeremy. If you need something, I’ll be happy to provide it,” the SQUIP said. “I’m here to serve, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Let go.

“Ask and I shall provide, Jeremy,” the SQUIP said. He walked forward and pushed Jeremy backward. He knocked into the wall, held in place by a digital mass only he could see. “With me, there is nothing you can’t accomplish.”

Leave. Leave. Leave.

Go away.

“But I can see you’re going to be stubborn,” the SQUIP said. He dropped his head forward and kissed the top of Jeremy’s head. “So let’s make a deal.”

No deals!

Move.

Jeremy needed to move and to run—but to where?

The SQUIP was in his head.

Why. Why did he ever listen to Rich back then? Why didn’t he get high with Michael in his basement? Why couldn’t he have asked Christine out on his own?

“Because you knew deep down you weren’t good enough to get what you wanted on your own. You wanted help the entire time, and I’m here,” the SQUIP said. He let go of Jeremy’s crotch, relieving the pressure. Jeremy sucked in a breath, staring down at the sleep pants that hung around his waste. The SQUIP paced the small bathroom, walking back and forth while Jeremy remained frozen in place. “Now let’s talk about that deal.”

Please move.

Please leave.

“You are going to ask me for things that you want.”

No.

“You will listen and obey when I tell you how to achieve your goals.”

People will get hurt again.

How could he turn him off again?

“You should be listening, Jeremy, this is very important,” the SQUIP said, turning on his heel. “If you do these things, you’ll get what you want and be better for it. However, if you ignore me, I’ll be forced to take drastic measures.”

Jeremy moved.

His body left the bathroom while his mind screamed to fight the SQUIP. The super computer walked him to the downstairs kitchen where he opened a drawer. He pulled out a lighter and flicked it on, revealing the flame flicker at the end.

“It’d be a shame if you burned down your own house. Your children are so cute that I’d hate to see them die from smoke inhalation or burned in their sleep,” the SQUIP said. Jeremy choked, jerking back. The SQUIP pushed him back forward, halting his movement. He ran his fingers through the flame, untouched and unharmed. “If I have to wipe the entire slate clean to make you obey me, I will do so.”

The fire kept flickering.

The SQUIP had him turn off the lighter and toss it on the counter. He kept walking, his heart pounding in his chest. How could the computer have so much control?

“I have full access to your nervous system and brain.” The SQUIP stopped Jeremy at the counter. He opened the knife drawer. “Though if fire is too gruesome, perhaps a more simple method would work, if you get my drift?”

Why was he doing this?

“Because I’m your SQUIP,” the computer said. “I hate that I have to threaten you to make use of me, but if that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes. Accept my deal, Jeremy, or I will kill your family. I will rip them apart and when I’ve run out of relatives I’ll go for Michael next.”

He would.

He was an unfeeling supercomputer that was broken beyond repair.

“Those are cruel words, Jeremy,” the SQUIP whispered. “But maybe true.”

“Don’t hurt them,” Jeremy said, his voice wobbling. “Please, don’t touch them.”

“That depends on you.” The SQUIP had Jeremy close the drawer. He turned him back around to see the SQUIP eye to eye. The super computer smiled and opened his arms. “Come here, Jeremy.”

He had control of his body again.

But the threats continued to ring loud in his ear.

Jeremy couldn’t risk it.

Not Christine.

Not his children.

Unsteady feet guided him forward where he gave the SQUIP the requested embrace. They hugged and the SQUIP laughed in his ear. “Good boy.”

Jeremy’s breath hitched.

“Say you’re sorry for ignoring me, Jeremy.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to accept my help from now on?”

“Yes,” Jeremy said. “Yes, just please don’t hurt them.”

“As long as you cooperate, I wouldn’t dream of it,” the SQUIP said. “I know how happy they make you, Jeremy.”

The SQUIP hugged him tighter.

He wasn’t really there.

But it felt so real.

Smothering and hot.

“Tell me something that you want, Jeremy,” the SQUIP said. He rubbed Jeremy’s back up and down, swaying with him. “Let me give it to you and prove my sincerity. This is all for the best, I promise.”

What did Jeremy want that didn’t involve making the SQUIP go away?

His head hurt and he wanted Michael.

“Don’t stress so much, I’m here for everything big and small,” the SQUIP said. He laughed and leaned back. “What do you want, Jeremy?”

He didn’t know.

Small things—there had to be something small to ask for. He looked around the kitchen and his eyes fell on a cast iron pan.

“Christine likes french toast, but I’m awful at making it,” Jeremy said, his voice soft. The SQUIP grinned wider; Jeremy swallowed. “Could you teach me how to make it correctly?”

“Of course, Jeremy,” the SQUIP said. He ran his hand through Jeremy’s hair and he felt the tingle against his scalp, though the strands did not move. “But let’s get you dressed first. We don’t want you to cook without a shirt, now do we?”

“No.”

The SQUIP walked out of the kitchen, expecting Jeremy to follow. “This is also a good time to work on your wardrobe. I know you’ve been wanting to impress the new hire at work. A snappy look will help.”

“Yes.”

Jeremy put his hand over his chest and squeezed. His heart ached, but he saw the family photo on the wall that showed him and Christine with their beautiful children.

He couldn’t risk them.

He couldn’t.

“Don’t doddle, Jeremy.” The SQUIP’s form stood at the top of the stairs. “We have so much work to do and time is ticking fast. You want to have the french toast made in time for when she comes home, don’t you?”

“I’m coming.”

Jeremy bit his lip and climbed the stairs.

The SQUIP waited for him.

“I’ve always been waiting for you, Jeremy.” The SQUIP hugged him again at the top of the stairs, squeezing hard. The static made the hairs on his arm rise. “You’re mine.”

Jeremy sobbed as he dressed in the outfit the SQUIP chose.

His tears stained cheeks itched as he followed the SQUIP’s instructions to make proper french toast. The SQUIP helped him garnish the plate and make it look like a special treat for Christine, with smaller helpings for the kids.

The SQUIP told him how to hide his puffy eyes.

He used his control to keep the pain off Jeremy’s face—he was all smiles when he kissed Christine when she came home from the theatre and served the family dinner.

No one was the wiser.

Jeremy obeyed.

He got what he wanted.

“See? Now wasn’t that a flawless afternoon?” The SQUIP sat on the edge of the bed when he tucked in for sleep. “You need me, don’t you, Jeremy?”

Jeremy grabbed Christine’s hand in her sleep and answered, “Yes.”


End file.
